Introduction

Unfortunately, the GZ-HM400 suffered from the same low light difficulties that plagued the GZ-X900, although it did represent a significant improvement in that category.

Update: The Everio GZ-HM400 was ultimately selected as our runner-up for Best Value of 2009. To see why we selected it and read about our other 2009 awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.

Design

Performance

Color

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The JVC GZ-HM400 captured deep, vibrant colors in our bright light testing. The camcorder measured a color error of 3.54 and a saturation level of 92.26%. These are very good scores, but they are no different from what we've come to expect from a high-end camcorder. Nearly all camcorders over $1000 will get you similar results in bright light. More on how we test color.

Looking at the error map above, you can see the GZ-HM400 handled blues and reds with spot-on accuracy. The camcorder really only had trouble with certain yellow and green tones. This is similar to what we saw on the JVC GZ-X900. None of JVC's camcorders offer any alternate color modes, so we only have one sample image shown below. New on the GZ-HM400, however, is an image sharpness control option. We have examples of this sharpness feature in our manual controls section.

In bright light, the JVC GZ-HM400's image is very good—there is no doubt about that. Its colors appear a bit more vibrant than those of the GZ-X900, which is accentuated by the HM400's higher saturation level. Its color palette is also slightly different than that of the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Canon HF S11, which you can see in the comparison images below. The Panasonic produced lighter greens and blues, while the Canon rendered a different tone to its brown and red colors.

As we said before, most high-end camcorders produce very good colors in bright light. The Canon HF S11 was a bit worse than the rest of the camcorders in this set, but Canon makes up for this by including a wide range of color adjustment options. The fact that JVC doesn't include any color controls may dishearten some, but the colors captured by the camcorder in auto mode are very strong.

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Low Light Color

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The JVC GZ-HM400 didn't do very well in our low light color testing. It measured a color error of 6.27 and a saturation level of 60.11%, both of which are large drops from the camcorder's bright light color numbers. In addition to its poor color accuracy, the camcorder had an off-color hue in its low light image that gave the picture a slight greenish-blue tint. This discoloration was present even when we used the camcorder's manual white balance function. The camcorder did perform better than the GZ-X900, however, which is a pleasant surprise. More on how we test low light color.

The color error map above shows the HM400 had trouble with all colors in low light. A few of the browns were captured with decent accuracy, but everything else was very off. As you can see in the comparisons below, the GZ-HM400 did manage a brighter image than the GZ-X900 and Canon HF-S11.

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Noise

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The GZ-HM400 averaged low noise levels in bright light with 0.6225% noise. This is basically the same amount of noise we measured on the JVC GZ-X900, and it is a bit less noise than what was present on the Canon HF S11. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 had the lowest noise levels of the bunch. Most high-end camcorders don't have a problem with noise in bright light, although the same definitely cannot be said about low light. More on how we test noise.

The crops above do an excellent job showing off the sharpness each camcorder is capable of. Since all these models are top-of-the-line camcorders, they each capture incredibly sharp HD video. The two JVC models produced the sharpest video images we've ever seen—thanks in large part to their gigantic CMOS sensors. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Canon HF S11 aren't far behind, however. Notice that the JVC models show some finer detail at the bottom of the vertical trumpets when compared to the Panasonic and Canon camcorders, but the difference is barely noticeable.

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Low Light Sensitivity

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Going by the terrible low light sensitivity we measured on the GZ-HM400's cousin model, the GZ-X900, we didn't have high hopes for the camcorder's low light capabilities. The GZ-HM400 did do a much better job, yet it still didn't make the cut to be considered an adequate low light camcorder. The HM400 required 31 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor—an amount of light that is much higher than both the Canon HF S11 (17 lux) and Panasonic HDC-TM300 (9 lux) needed. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

While the GZ-HM400 does represent a big improvement over the GZ-X900's low light performance, it is still far below average for a high-end HD camcorder. As you'll see in the next two low light sections, the GZ-HM400 measured a lot of noise and produced a green hue during our low light testing. To boost the camcorder's low light performance you can engage its slow shutter feature (setting AGC to Auto), but this will result in the camcorder capturing choppy, jittery motion.

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Low Light Noise

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Noise was a big problem with the JVC GZ-X900 in low light, but the GZ-HM400 handled things a bit better. The camcorder still measured a lot of noise—1.7475% to be exact—and its low light image did suffer as a result. The 100% crop images below give you an idea as to how the GZ-HM400 stacked up to the competition. More on how we test low light noise.

As you can see, the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Canon HF S11 have far cleaner low light images compared to the two JVC models. The GZ-HM400 retained a lot more detail than the GZ-X900 due to its lower noise levels, but it still captured a fine layer of fuzz in its image. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 produced the cleanest image by far and it is one of the best low light camcorders we've reviewed this year. Notice the slight discoloration on the GZ-HM400's image. It isn't as pronounced as on the GZ-X900, but it is definitely present.

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Low Light Color

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The JVC GZ-HM400 didn't do very well in our low light color testing. It measured a color error of 6.27 and a saturation level of 60.11%, both of which are large drops from the camcorder's bright light color numbers. In addition to its poor color accuracy, the camcorder had an off-color hue in its low light image that gave the picture a slight greenish-blue tint. This discoloration was present even when we used the camcorder's manual white balance function. The camcorder did perform better than the GZ-X900, however, which is a pleasant surprise. More on how we test low light color.

The color error map above shows the HM400 had trouble with all colors in low light. A few of the browns were captured with decent accuracy, but everything else was very off. As you can see in the comparisons below, the GZ-HM400 did manage a brighter image than the GZ-X900 and Canon HF-S11.

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Motion

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The JVC GZ-HM400 did very well in our motion test—just as it did in all of our bright light testing. The camcorder captures Full HD video using a 60i frame rate, and it can output this signal to a television as 1080/60p. The HM400 doesn't have any alternate frame rates that record Full HD video, but it does have three high-speed shooting options for creating low-quality slow motion clips. Click here for example videos of these slow motion modes. More on how we test motion.

Video Sharpness

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Like the JVC GZ-X900 before it, the GZ-HM400 produced stellar video sharpness results in our testing. The camcorder managed a horizontal sharpness of 1000 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 650 lw/ph. The horizontal sharpness in particular is incredibly good and bests the Canon HF S11 and Panasonic HDC-TM300 by a significant margin. We did notice some aliasing and blurring in our vertical sharpness test, which is why the camcorder measured so much lower in that arena. For some reason, the GZ-HM400's image started to break-up around 650 lw/ph, which is the same thing that happened on the GZ-X900, Panasonic HDC-TM300, and Canon HF S11. More on how we test video sharpness.

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Testing Samples

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Usability

Ease of Use

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Although the JVC GZ-HM400 is very similar to the GZ-X900, we found the HM400 to be a bit easier to use. The menus on the HM400 are less cluttered because features like aperture, shutter speed, focus, and exposure have been replaced on the body of the camcorder as dedicated buttons. This may confuse some people who cannot find these features anywhere in the camcorder's menu, however, but it does make them easier to access on the fly. That is, once you figure out what each button controls. JVC doesn't do a very good job helping beginners with the GZ-HM400—its instruction manual is terrible and the information box that appears in the menu is helpful, but limited.

The addition of the adjustment dial makes it easier to precisely adjust things like focus and exposure—and it is great for people who don't like using the Laser Touch system. This makes the GZ-HM400 a much easier camcorder to use for advanced videographers who are accustomed to using control rings, dials, etc. The Laser Touch system is definitely unique and takes some getting used to no matter what your experience level is.

The HM400 does have a dedicated Auto mode, although it isn't as easy to find, nor as cut-and-dry as some of the 'easy' modes found on other camcorders (we're thinking of Sony here). The only way to access most manual controls is to enter manual mode and then go into the camcorders Manual Settings menu (which isn't available in Auto mode). The great thing about this setup is that in Manual mode you can select what features you want to control manually while keeping other features in automatic control.

The 'one-touch' features touted by JVC as being able to upload to YouTube or Export to iTunes aren't as easy to use as they sound. The fact that you have to press these buttons before you start shooting make them unintuitive and more of a hassle than they need to be. See the Editing section of this review for further information about these features.

JVC organizes its menus all under one heading, which is accessed by pressing the Menu button the LCD panel. The problem with this setup, is that the camcorder has multiple submenus and the controls are all displayed in very long lists that must be scrolled through using the Laser Touch system. It is an easy setup to understand, but it can be frustrating to use if you have to get to an option quickly. The main menu is organized very similarly in both video mode and still image mode. A Manual Setting submenu is at top, followed by a number of features, with more Settings submenus located at the bottom.

The Manual Setting submenu only appears when the camcorder is in Manual mode. This submenu is a bit less cluttered on the GZ-HM400 than on other JVCs because options for focus, shutter speed, aperture, and exposure are not located here. They are instead activated by dedicated buttons and switches on the camcorder's body (and can be controlled using the adjustment dial). This system may confuse first-time users, especially if they spend time looking through the menu for things like focus and aperture control. Still, by providing dedicated buttons, JVC has made it possible to quickly switch between two manual controls without ever having to go into the menu system.

Also new on the GZ-HM400 is one user-assignable button (labeled with a 'U'). This button can be programmed to activate a variety of different controls—and it is up to the user to decide what works the best. Unfortunately, there is only one user-assignable button on the camcorder, but it can be set to perform different tasks in video mode and still mode.

At the very bottom of the main menu are four Settings submenus: Display Settings, Basic Settings, Connection Settings, and Media Settings. Most of the options in these menus are things you won't have to adjust all that often. Things like LCD brightness, video output options, and switching between internal memory or memory card recording. However, there are a few options, like continuous shooting mode speed and focus assist color, that don't make much sense being buried in these Settings menus.

Auto Mode

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Like all JVC models you can set the GZ-HM400 to be either in Auto mode or Manual mode. In Auto mode, the entire Manual Controls menu is unavailable, so you cannot make adjustments to aperture, shutter speed, exposure, or even choose a scene mode to shoot in. The cool thing about Manual mode is you can still pick and choose what controls you want to adjust manually when you are in the mode. This means, if you only want to turn manual focus on and leave everything else under auto control, you can.

The HM400's main auto controls aren't bad. Autofocus worked well, albeit sometimes it was slow when we moved from close-up shots to wide angle shooting. Still, the camcorder worked quickly with focusing most of the time, and it had no problem making an image crisp as long as it was at least 6.7mm away (the minimum focal length for the camcorder). The camcorder is also equipped with face detection and it works in both video and still image mode.

The auto exposure was even better. The camcorder worked quickly to provide accurate exposure levels and it did so with a smooth response system. The HM400 has a backlight compensation feature that can be turned on to help expose subjects with a strong light illuminating them from behind.

The camcorder's auto white balance was its weakest auto feature. Working with LED lights (used for our low light testing) the camcorder's auto white balance gave the image a cool, bluish tint. The HM400's white balance presets worked a bit better than auto WB in many conditions.

Low Light Modes - The GZ-HM400 doesn't have any dedicated low light modes. It does have a few scene modes that are applicable for low light situations (Twilight and Night), but it doesn't offer a specific low light shooting mode. You can turn the camcorder's auto slow shutter on by setting the AGC to Auto. This allows the HM400 to drop to 1/30 of a second shutter speeds in low light situations. This slow shutter, however, does produce choppy footage and motion trails that may be undesirable.

Scene Modes - In Manual mode you can access a variety of scene modes on the GZ-HM400. The scene mode options include: Portrait, Landscape, Twilight, Night, Snow, Beach, Sports, Spotlight, Fireworks, and Sunset. Oddly, the JVC GZ-X900 had all these scene modes, but they could only be used in still image mode. We applaud JVC for making them available in both video mode and still image mode on the GZ-HM400.

Other Auto Features

Handling

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The GZ-HM400's right side is so oddly shaped it makes us wonder what the manufacturers were thinking. Its right side features a large indentation in its middle, which makes the camcorder feel very uncomfortable in your palm. No matter how we held the camcorder, it was impossible for us to fit the thing smoothly into our hand—there was always some level of discomfort. The entire time we spent using the HM400 we were yearning for the smooth, curved design featured on the Panasonic HDC-TM300, Canon HF S11, and JVC's mid-range models (in particular, the GZ-HM200 has a very good right-side grip).

Adding to the body design problems on the HM400 is the fact that your pinky comes right up to the edge of the built-in mic when you hold the camcorder. If you have thick fingers, your pinky may rub up against (or even cover!) the built-in mic while the camcorder is in use.

The hand strap on the right side of the HM400 is also not up to snuff. It doesn't have the padding or the comfortable lining we've come accustomed to from high-end camcorders. Canon, Sony, and Panasonic's hand straps are all much more comfortable. Despite these flaws, the HM400 is rather easy to keep steady due to its even weight distribution. We also like the matte finish on the body of the camcorder, as it keeps the surface of the GZ-HM400 free of greasy fingerprints.

The flashy new zoom rocker on the GZ-HM400 is also a very good component. The rocker is one of the best zoom controllers we've used for making precise zoom adjustments, and it is quite comfortable as well. We also love the addition of the adjustment control dial near the front of the camcorder. This dial is light years ahead of the Laser Touch system when it comes to adjusting manual controls. The dial and zoom rocker are such good additions that they almost overshadow the camcorder's terrible right-side grip.

An additional benefit of the adjustment dial is the fact that you don't have to go into the camcorder's menu to setup manual control of focus, exposure, shutter speed, or aperture. A little switch behind the dial allows you to control focus or exposure, while dedicated buttons near the back of the camcorder (labeled 'A' and 'S') turn on aperture and shutter speed control. This means you can easily and quickly switch between controls as you manipulate them with the dial. Another button, also located in the back of the camcorder, can be customized to turn on any feature you desire (this button is labeled with a 'U' for user defined).

Portability

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The biggest difference between the GZ-HM400 and GZ-X900 is definitely size. The GZ-HM400 is one of the bulkiest internal memory camcorders on the market, but its size definitely has its benefits. As we discussed in our Stabilization section above, the GZ-HM400 is very evenly weighted, which makes the camcorder easy to balance and keep steady. Unfortunately, you won't be able to slip the camcorder into your pocket as its large size requires it to be transported in a small bag or holder.

The GZ-HM400 weighs almost the same as the Canon HF S11 (500g), while the Panasonic HDC-TM300 weighs quite a bit less (386g). All of these camcorders are too large to carry around in your pocket, but none of them are heavy enough to put a lot of stress on your wrist during a long day of shooting. The JVC GZ-X900 is definitely more portable than the GZ-HM400 due to its smooth, rectangular design and lighter body, but it doesn't have nearly as many features and includes no internal memory.

Battery Life

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The GZ-HM400 had one of the best battery performances we've tested. The camcorder lasted for 163 minutes in our battery test (2 hours, 43 minutes), which is more than double how long the battery on the GZ-X900 lasted. The GZ-HM400's battery life was significantly longer than any other high-end consumer HD camcorder we've tested this year. It beat out both the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Canon HF S11 by roughly an hour. More on how we test battery life.

If a 163-minute battery life isn't enough for you, JVC does sell larger batteries that will give you a longer performance. The camcorder has an open battery compartment, so you can easily fit larger packs back there while you shoot. You could also just get an extra battery from JVC, which will allow you to shoot for roughly 5 hours with two fully-charged packs.

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LCD & Viewfinder

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The GZ-HM400 has a 2.8-inch LCD screen with a 207,000 pixel resolution. As with most LCD panels, the screen can rotate up to 270 degrees so you can do some self-shooting if you want to. The 2.8-inches is a decent size, although there are a couple of consumer camcorders out there with screens as large as 3.2 inches. The resolution of the HM400's screen isn't as high as we'd like, but overall the LCD does a decent job. The LCD has 11 brightness settings and the backlight can be set to Brighter, Standard, or Auto.

As with all new JVC models, the LCD panel features a Laser Touch strip on its left side. The strip has a bit of a different design than the GZ-X900, however. The HM400's strip is embedded slightly (like a shallow trench), while the X900 featured a perfectly flat strip that was even with the surface of the panel. The same thing goes with the small buttons on the bottom of the LCD panel. We didn't notice much of a difference between the response and functionality of the Laser Touch on the two camcorders, but we like the embedded buttons on the HM400 more. It makes the buttons easier to find with your fingertips—especially since they are touch-sensitive.

Many traditional videographers will lament the fact that the HM400 does not include an electronic viewfinder. The camcorder is definitely large enough to accommodate one, but it seems JVC (along with Canon) doesn't think a viewfinder is a necessity for high-end consumer camcorders. Sony and Panasonic both include electronic viewfinders on their high-end models.

Stabilization

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The JVC GZ-HM400 did well in our stabilization test for a number of reasons. First, the camcorder is quite large and is weighted evenly so keeps relatively steady even without its optical image stabilization (OIS) system engaged. Secondly, the camcorder's OIS does a decent job reducing the shakiness of the image. The graph below shows what we're talking about. In our low shake test (top graph) the camcorder's OIS reduced 48% of the shake. In our high shake test, the GZ-HM400 did even better, reducing 57% of the shake. More on how we test stabilization.

You should also take a look at how little the camcorder shook with its OIS system turned off. The blue lines represent the camcorder's motion without any image stabilization, while the red shows the motion with OIS engaged. The GZ-HM400 is weighted so well that the camcorder was extremely stable even without OIS. Most consumer camcorders shake a whole lot more when we test them (particularly in our high shake test). The video below is an example of the GZ-HM400's stabilization system in action:

The GZ-HM400 and the GZ-X900 are JVCs only camcorders from 2009 that include optical image stabilization. JVCs mid-range models all offer digital stabilization, which can result in degraded image quality when engaged. The HM400 did a much better job with stabilization than the smaller GZ-X900. This probably has to do with the fatter, more even-weighted design of the GZ-HM400.

Manual Focus

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Manual Exposure

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Miscellaneous Controls

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x.v. Color

Enables the camcorder to record using the xvYCC expanded color gamut. The larger color gamut will only be noticeable when viewed on xvYCC-compatible televisions.

Sharpness

Sharpness can be set from -5 to +5. This is a new feature that is not found on other HD camcorders from JVC.

Tele Macro

Tele Macro allows you to take close up images that the camcorder normally wouldn't be able to focus on. This feature only works with still images—it makes no difference when shooting video (even though it can be turned on and off in video mode).

Grid

Divides the screen into nine sections by using two vertical and two horizontal lines. Grid is used to assist with framing and the lines will not appear in the recorded video.

Zebra

This feature displays striped patterns on overexposed portions of the screen. The sensitivity can be set to either 70% or 100%. This feature is commonly found on pro camcorders and is not present on the JVC GZ-X900.

Audio Controls

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The GZ-HM400 has a few additional audio features that are not found on other consumer camcorders from JVC. It offers an audio level display that can be turned on and off and microphone level adjustment from -2 to +2 (in one-level increments). This isn't as good as full audio level adjustment (like you get on the Canon and Panasonic models), but it is better than just offering a high/low setting for the microphone.

The GZ-HM400 also has an external mic and headphone jack, both located on the back of the camcorder. Neither of these ports are found on the GZ-X900, nor any of JVC's mid-range 2009 models. The headphone volume output can also be adjusted in the camcorders menu. Wind Cut is still an option on the GZ-HM400, which is also featured on JVCs other models.

The biggest problem with the GZ-HM400's audio features may be the placement of its built-in microphone. The mic is top-mounted near the front of the camcorder. Depending on how thick your fingers are, your pinky may cover the entirety of the mic or rub up against it when you hold the HM400 in your right hand. This can be avoided by squeezing your fingers together, but the fact remains that the mic can easily be rubbed or bumped by your pinky while you're recording.

The camcorder comes with a screw-in shoe adapter that allows you to connect shoe-mount accessories to the GZ-HM400. The shoe adapter is not powered and its plastic design feels cheap and breakable. Also, if you lose the adapter then you have no way of connecting shoe-mount devices to the camcorder.

New on the HM400 is something called K2 technology that supposedly enhances audio quality during playback. According to JVC, the K2 feature restores sound details that are lost during the compression process. The K2 audio option is a feature exclusive to JVC and it can be turned on and off in the camcorder's playback menu.

Editing

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The GZ-HM400 ships with Everio Media Browser HD, which is the same software that comes with JVC's other consumer HD camcorders. The software isn't too bad, especially when compared to the average video programs that ship with camcorders. It has a number of useful features including clip organization, YouTube upload capability, and DVD disc creation (additional DVD burner required). The software does not work with Macintosh operating systems, however, so if you have a Mac you'll have to stick with iMovie or a different editing program of your choosing.

Since the GZ-HM400 records AVCHD clips, the Everio Media Browser software's main function is to import these video files so they can be viewed on your computer. AVCHD footage must be imported with some sort of software before it's workable—the files themselves cannot be simply dragged and dropped right from the camcorder and into an editing program or media player. This, along with their large file size and difficulty to work with, are the main problems with AVCHD video.

Getting videos onto YouTube with the Media Browser software was relatively easy. You can select the videos you want to upload, enter your YouTube account information, and the program does the rest. In our time with the software we did get numerous error messages saying we didn't have the camcorder connected correctly—even though we did—and we noticed the program acting a bit buggy. Still, once you get beyond this bugs and error messages (which can be ignored) the program works quite well.

We didn't find JVC's 'one-touch' features (located inside the LCD cavity) to be all that useful. The editing software already makes it easy to upload, export, or burn your clips by allowing you to select the videos you want right before you perform the uploading, burning, or exporting process. This means the 'one-touch' buttons really don't save you much time—especially when you consider that you have to turn the 'one-touch' modes on before you start shooting.

The JVC GZ-HM400 has a number of internal editing features that can be used to edit videos right inside the camcorder. Clips can be split and trimmed, faders and music can be added, or playlists can be created. Doing all this in-camera editing is a bit difficult with the Laser Touch control system, but they are mildly useful features nonetheless. For an overview of the software that ships with this and other camcorders, see our article: Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder{{product.brand.name}}-Included-Software.htm.

Features

Compression

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As with most new HD camcorders, the GZ-HM400 records high definition video using the AVCHD codec. This is the same codec used by Panasonic, Sony, and Canon—only Sanyo and Samsung continue to hold using a different variation on the MPEG-4 codec. While AVCHD has become a popular choice for manufacturers, it still has its quirks and issues. For one, AVCHD files are difficult to work with on a slow or old computer since the files are large and full of information. Editing the footage can slow down your computer or cause it to crash, and importing the files can take an incredibly long time (especially if you have a lot of clips). If you plan on doing extensive editing of your AVCHD footage, make sure you have a strong computer that is up to the task.

The GZ-HM400 doesn't have any alternate frame rate options that can record Full HD video, but it does have three high-speed settings that can be used to capture low-quality slow-motion video. The first setting records at 120fps, which stretches out your footage to half speed. The second setting does 300fps (5x slower) and the third setting does 600fps (10x slower). Each slow motion option has strict record time limits. The 120fps and 300fps modes can capture 4 seconds of video, while the 600fps mode is limited to 2.4 seconds (these clips are then lengthened during playback due to the slow motion). Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

Media

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In addition to having an SD/SDHC card slot for recording to a memory card, the JVC GZ-HM400 includes 32GB of internal flash memory. This internal memory is good to have because it allows you to record close to three hours of video at the highest quality setting. So, if you're on vacation and you use up all the space on your memory cards, you'll have something to fall back on.

The SD/SDHC card slot is located inside the camcorder's LCD cavity, behind a flip-down door. This placement isn't bad, although it means you must have the LCD panel open to insert and eject memory cards. It does provide excellent protection to your memory card slot, however.

The camcorder appears to have a clip length limit around 23 minutes. When you record for about 23 minutes continuously, the camcorder automatically generates a new clip where the old one left off—with no gaps or loss of data. This table below lists the approximate record times you can get with the GZ-HM400: Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Slow Motion Modes

Still Features

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Like the JVC GZ-X900 before it, the GZ-HM400 has plenty of still features to play around with. The main feature of note is the camcorder's 9-megapixel still image capability, which means the HM400 can take photos at a native resolution of 3456 x 2592.

The camcorder can, of course, take photos in a number of additional sizes as well (10 in all), and it offers two photo quality settings (Fine and Standard). While the camcorder does let you capture still photos in video mode (even during recording), you cannot set the size of these photos—all still images taken in video mode are 3072 x 1728 (5.3 megapixels).

The GZ-HM400 has a variety of continuous shooting modes that are confusing to use and are not well explained in JVC's instruction manual. You engage continuous shooting by switching the shutter mode to continuous in the camcorder's menu. To switch the speed of the successive shots, however, you must go into the Basic Settings menu and choose from High, Medium, or Low. The spreading out of these options is very strange and the inclusion of the shooting speeds in the Basic Settings menu makes no sense at all. The continuous shooting mode also acts differently whether you are in still mode or video mode.

The 9-megapixel continuous stills can only be captured in still mode, although you can also capture continuous stills at other resolutions in still mode. In video mode, all continuous stills are taken as 5-megapixel images. We do like these continuous shooting modes quite a bit, but we wish JVC had made them simpler to use. Without extensive trial-and-error research, it is difficult to figure out what the limitations are for each mode.

In addition to the continuous shooting modes, there is also an auto exposure bracketing option on the HM400. With this feature turned on, the camcorder will take 5 successive shots, each with a different exposure level. This is good if you are shooting in low light or in situations where you are unsure of how to set your exposure levels. The camcorder also has a built-in flash that can be set to Auto, Red-Eye reduction, and Slow-Synchro (for using the flash with slow shutter speeds).

The GZ-HM400 offers ISO control in still image mode, which is something that isn't commonly found on consumer camcorders. The ISO range goes from 100 to 3200 and can also be set to Auto. Other than ISO, the manual control options in still mode are mostly the same as video mode—except you cannot set Zebra patterns or adjust sharpness in still mode. Still mode has a self-timer option that can be set to 2 seconds, 10 seconds, or face detection (the shutter will go off when it detects a new face in the frame).

During playback you can digitally zoom into photos or paused video, but this action can only be performed using the provided remote control. We would have liked to see JVC include a basic playback zoom that can be performed with the camcorder's zoom rocker as well. If you press down the shutter button while video playback is paused the camcorder will capture a still image from the video (at a resolution of 1920 x 1080).

With its impressive still feature resume, we assumed the GZ-HM400 would do very well in our still image testing. It met our expectations for the most part, although the camcorder measured higher noise levels than we would have liked. As far as color accuracy is concerned, the camcorder did very well. It recorded a color error of 3.08 and a saturation level of 106.8%. These are better numbers than the HM400 managed in our bright light video testing.

The GZ-HM400 captured very vivid colors in its still photos. Its saturation level was nearly identical to that of the GZ-X900, although the HM400 had slightly more accurate colors. All the camcorders captured very good colors in their still images, although the Canon had lower saturation levels than the rest. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 had the most accurate colors in this set.

The GZ-HM400 averaged 1.14% noise in our still image testing, which is rather high. This is more noise than the camcorder measured in our bright light noise testing (almost double, actually). Both the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-X900 had similar noise levels, however, so this isn't an uncommon occurrence for a high-end camcorder. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 managed much lower noise levels, registering around 0.79%.

Still sharpness is probably the most important still image test we run because it gives you an idea of how much detail the camcorder can capture in its photos. The GZ-HM400 did quite well with still sharpness, managing a horizontal sharpness of 2329 lw/ph with 24% oversharpening and a vertical sharpness of 1800 lw/ph with 6.7% oversharpening. These are much better numbers than the JVC GZ-X900 put up, which is likely due to the different lens featured on the HM400. This is also far better than the Panasonic HDC-TM300 was capable of. The GZ-HM400 couldn't hang with the best still image camcorders, however. The Canon HF S11 had better still sharpness, as did the Sanyo VPC-CG10 and Sanyo VPC-HD2000.

Lens & Imaging System

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At 1/2.33-inches, the GZ-HM400 has one of the largest CMOS sensors in the consumer camcorder market. This large sensor is why the camcorder is capable of capturing native 9-megapixel still images, and it also gave the camcorder a big boost in our video sharpness testing. The lens is quite large on the HM400 (much larger than the GZ-X900), and it features a 10x optical zoom, an automatic lens cover, and a built-in flash that flanks its right side.

LCD & Viewfinder

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The GZ-HM400 has a 2.8-inch LCD screen with a 207,000 pixel resolution. As with most LCD panels, the screen can rotate up to 270 degrees so you can do some self-shooting if you want to. The 2.8-inches is a decent size, although there are a couple of consumer camcorders out there with screens as large as 3.2 inches. The resolution of the HM400's screen isn't as high as we'd like, but overall the LCD does a decent job. The LCD has 11 brightness settings and the backlight can be set to Brighter, Standard, or Auto.

As with all new JVC models, the LCD panel features a Laser Touch strip on its left side. The strip has a bit of a different design than the GZ-X900, however. The HM400's strip is embedded slightly (like a shallow trench), while the X900 featured a perfectly flat strip that was even with the surface of the panel. The same thing goes with the small buttons on the bottom of the LCD panel. We didn't notice much of a difference between the response and functionality of the Laser Touch on the two camcorders, but we like the embedded buttons on the HM400 more. It makes the buttons easier to find with your fingertips—especially since they are touch-sensitive.

Many traditional videographers will lament the fact that the HM400 does not include an electronic viewfinder. The camcorder is definitely large enough to accommodate one, but it seems JVC (along with Canon) doesn't think a viewfinder is a necessity for high-end consumer camcorders. Sony and Panasonic both include electronic viewfinders on their high-end models.

Connectivity

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The ports on the GZ-HM400 are located in a variety of different places, but the bulk of them are on the back side of the camcorder. There, you will find a long column of ports to the left of the battery compartment—headphone, Component-out, mini-HDMI, and DC-input. Above the battery pack are two more ports: AV-out and a mini microphone input. Both of these port clusters are protected by hard plastic, flip-open doors. These doors proved adequate protection, but they don't open all that wide. Things may get a little cramped if you have a lot of cables plugged in at once.

The USB port and SD/SDHC memory card slot are both located inside the LCD cavity. The USB port isn't protected by a cover, although when the LCD panel is closed it does provide shelter for the exposed port. The SD/SDHC card slot springs open with the flick of a small trigger switch located to its right. Both the USB port and the memory card slot require the LCD screen to be open in order to access them.

The GZ-HM400 does not have a built-in accessory shoe, but it comes with a small, plastic shoe attachment that screws into the top of the camcorder. The problem with this setup is that the screw-in adapter is easy to lose, feels cheap, and looks easily breakable. If you lose the adapter then you have no way of attaching shoe-mounted accessories to the camcorder (unless you buy another adapter from JVC, that is).

All Full HD video on the HM400 is recorded as 1080/60i, but the camcorder has 1080/60p output capability. When connecting the camcorder to a 1080p television, the HM400 will upconvert the video signal to 1080p for playback. This feature can also be found on new models from Sony (the HDR-CX500V and HDR-CX520V).

Battery

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If a 163-minute battery life isn't enough for you, JVC does sell larger batteries that will give you a longer performance. The camcorder has an open battery compartment, so you can easily fit larger packs back there while you shoot. You could also just get an extra battery from JVC, which will allow you to shoot for roughly 5 hours with two fully-charged packs. Find out how the product:model/product:model performed in our battery life test.

Media

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In addition to having an SD/SDHC card slot for recording to a memory card, the JVC GZ-HM400 includes 32GB of internal flash memory. This internal memory is good to have because it allows you to record close to three hours of video at the highest quality setting. So, if you're on vacation and you use up all the space on your memory cards, you'll have something to fall back on.

The SD/SDHC card slot is located inside the camcorder's LCD cavity, behind a flip-down door. This placement isn't bad, although it means you must have the LCD panel open to insert and eject memory cards. It does provide excellent protection to your memory card slot, however.

The camcorder appears to have a clip length limit around 23 minutes. When you record for about 23 minutes continuously, the camcorder automatically generates a new clip where the old one left off—with no gaps or loss of data. This table below lists the approximate record times you can get with the GZ-HM400: Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Still Features

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Like the JVC GZ-X900 before it, the GZ-HM400 has plenty of still features to play around with. The main feature of note is the camcorder's 9-megapixel still image capability, which means the HM400 can take photos at a native resolution of 3456 x 2592.

The camcorder can, of course, take photos in a number of additional sizes as well (10 in all), and it offers two photo quality settings (Fine and Standard). While the camcorder does let you capture still photos in video mode (even during recording), you cannot set the size of these photos—all still images taken in video mode are 3072 x 1728 (5.3 megapixels).

The GZ-HM400 has a variety of continuous shooting modes that are confusing to use and are not well explained in JVC's instruction manual. You engage continuous shooting by switching the shutter mode to continuous in the camcorder's menu. To switch the speed of the successive shots, however, you must go into the Basic Settings menu and choose from High, Medium, or Low. The spreading out of these options is very strange and the inclusion of the shooting speeds in the Basic Settings menu makes no sense at all. The continuous shooting mode also acts differently whether you are in still mode or video mode.

The 9-megapixel continuous stills can only be captured in still mode, although you can also capture continuous stills at other resolutions in still mode. In video mode, all continuous stills are taken as 5-megapixel images. We do like these continuous shooting modes quite a bit, but we wish JVC had made them simpler to use. Without extensive trial-and-error research, it is difficult to figure out what the limitations are for each mode.

In addition to the continuous shooting modes, there is also an auto exposure bracketing option on the HM400. With this feature turned on, the camcorder will take 5 successive shots, each with a different exposure level. This is good if you are shooting in low light or in situations where you are unsure of how to set your exposure levels. The camcorder also has a built-in flash that can be set to Auto, Red-Eye reduction, and Slow-Synchro (for using the flash with slow shutter speeds).

The GZ-HM400 offers ISO control in still image mode, which is something that isn't commonly found on consumer camcorders. The ISO range goes from 100 to 3200 and can also be set to Auto. Other than ISO, the manual control options in still mode are mostly the same as video mode—except you cannot set Zebra patterns or adjust sharpness in still mode. Still mode has a self-timer option that can be set to 2 seconds, 10 seconds, or face detection (the shutter will go off when it detects a new face in the frame).

During playback you can digitally zoom into photos or paused video, but this action can only be performed using the provided remote control. We would have liked to see JVC include a basic playback zoom that can be performed with the camcorder's zoom rocker as well. If you press down the shutter button while video playback is paused the camcorder will capture a still image from the video (at a resolution of 1920 x 1080).

With its impressive still feature resume, we assumed the GZ-HM400 would do very well in our still image testing. It met our expectations for the most part, although the camcorder measured higher noise levels than we would have liked. As far as color accuracy is concerned, the camcorder did very well. It recorded a color error of 3.08 and a saturation level of 106.8%. These are better numbers than the HM400 managed in our bright light video testing.

The GZ-HM400 captured very vivid colors in its still photos. Its saturation level was nearly identical to that of the GZ-X900, although the HM400 had slightly more accurate colors. All the camcorders captured very good colors in their still images, although the Canon had lower saturation levels than the rest. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 had the most accurate colors in this set.

The GZ-HM400 averaged 1.14% noise in our still image testing, which is rather high. This is more noise than the camcorder measured in our bright light noise testing (almost double, actually). Both the Canon HF S11 and JVC GZ-X900 had similar noise levels, however, so this isn't an uncommon occurrence for a high-end camcorder. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 managed much lower noise levels, registering around 0.79%.

Still sharpness is probably the most important still image test we run because it gives you an idea of how much detail the camcorder can capture in its photos. The GZ-HM400 did quite well with still sharpness, managing a horizontal sharpness of 2329 lw/ph with 24% oversharpening and a vertical sharpness of 1800 lw/ph with 6.7% oversharpening. These are much better numbers than the JVC GZ-X900 put up, which is likely due to the different lens featured on the HM400. This is also far better than the Panasonic HDC-TM300 was capable of. The GZ-HM400 couldn't hang with the best still image camcorders, however. The Canon HF S11 had better still sharpness, as did the Sanyo VPC-CG10 and Sanyo VPC-HD2000.

Other Features

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High Speed Recording

The table below explains the resolution, record times, and playback times for each of the high-speed shooting modes. Since the modes record at such high frame rates, the footage is stretched out (and slowed down) when played back. So, in the 300fps mode, for example, the 4 second clip becomes 20 seconds of slow motion footage (because 300fps is 5x faster than the normal 60i frame rate). These high-speed shooting modes can be fun to use—especially if you're filming something with a lot of action—but the low-quality video they produce is very unimpressive.

Register Event

Videos can be marked before recording with various 'event tags' in order to assist with organization of your clips. So, you can tag all the videos of your newborn baby as 'Baby' and all of your Thanksgiving footage as 'Holiday.' The camcorder includes 10 different tags, each of which has three options (making 30 tags in all). The tags include: Vacation, Holiday, Sports, Anniversary, Congratulations, Baby, Sony, Daughter, Birthday, and Graduation. Register Event may be an exciting option for people who are obsessed with organization, but we would be surprised if most people actually took the time to utilize the feature.

Image Effects

The HM400 has a standard set of image effects that will alter the look of your video. There's Sepia, Monotone (black and white), Classic Film, and Strobe. Classic Film lowers the shutter speed to around 1/15 of a second in order to create a choppier look, while Strobe uses an even slower shutter speed.

Panasonic HDC-TM300 Comparison

The GZ-HM400 and GZ-X900 are very similar camcorders in two entirely different bodies. Both have 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensors and many of their internal specs and features are identical. As far as handling goes, however, the two camcorders couldn't be more different. The GZ-HM400 is much larger, fatter, and has a sweet adjustment dial underneath the lens that is used for changing manual controls. The HM400 is also more traditionally designed, as it features a right-side hand strap, and a wide, barrel-shaped construction. The GZ-X900, on the other hand, is almost perfectly rectangular. It has smooth, flat edges, no right-side hand strap, and is significantly lighter than the HM400.

Both camcorders have the same $1000 price tag, but the GZ-HM400 gets you far more bang for your buck. It includes 32GB of internal flash memory, whereas the GZ-X900 has none (it records to memory card only). The HM400 also has a lovely zoom rocker, and is capable of giving you precise control over a variety of manual options thanks to the adjustment dial. The GZ-X900 must rely on its finicky Laser Touch strip for all manual adjustments, and it only has a 5x optical zoom compared the the 10x on the HM400.

The two camcorders had nearly identical bright light performances, but in low light the GZ-HM400 came out ahead. It had a far better sensitivity and much less noise than the GZ-X900 in our low light testing. Now, this doesn't mean the HM400 is a top-notch low light camcorder (it isn't), all it means is that it did much better than the GZ-X900 (which is one of the worst low light models we've tested). Still, every way you look at it the GZ-HM400 is the better product than the GZ-X900. It offers a better value, better performance, and better features all around. The only thing the X900 has going for it is its more compact body—but we cannot justify that as enough of a reason to side with it over the GZ-HM400.

Canon Vixia HF S11 Comparison

The GZ-HM400 is the best camcorder we've reviewed this year from JVC, but it isn't nearly as good as the Panasonic HDC-TM300 for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, the TM300 had much better low light performance in our testing. It managed to keep colors accurate, noise levels down, and maintain a low light sensitivity that is worthy of a high-end HD camcorder. The main problem with the GZ-HM400 is the fact that it had such difficulty when the lights got dim. It required over three times the amount of light as the HDC-TM300 to capture a usable video image.

Low light performance aside, these two camcorders are actually very similar. They both have 32GB of internal flash memory, both include a variety of manual controls, and both feature a traditional design. The Panasonic, however, is far more comfortable to hold and use, offers a lens ring instead of an adjustment dial, and has an electronic viewfinder as well as a 2.7-inch LCD. One perk of the GZ-HM400 was its excellent bright light performance scores—particularly in motion and sharpness—that were slightly higher than what the Panasonic TM300 had to offer. The JVC also has more still features and better still sharpness capabilities than the HDC-TM300.The Panasonic includes a 24p recording mode, while the JVC has no alternate frame rates for Full HD recording (it does have three low-quality slow-motion modes, however).

Mainly due to its increased ability in handling low light situations, as well as its more comfortable design, the HDC-TM300 is a superior product to the JVC GZ-HM400 in almost every category. Since it is a hands-down better camcorder than the GZ-HM400, we feel it is well worth the extra cash.

COMP 3

Not taking into account their difference in price, the decision between the JVC GZ-HM400 and the Canon HF S11 is a tough one. Based on our testing, the Canon was clearly the superior camcorder in low light—but it didn't have the kind of impressive low light performance we saw from the Panasonic HDC-TM300. The JVC was better in bright light situations, although the Canon came very close to matching the HM400's impressive video sharpness levels. The Canon HF S100 was also one of the few camcorders to rival the HM400's still image performance.

So, the Canon gets the edge in performance and it has double the internal flash memory (a whopping 64GB) of the JVC GZ-HM400. The two camcorders have a similar amount of options. Both have an adjustment dial (although the JVC's is easier to use), a good set of manual controls, and a few notable special features. The Canon does have 24p and 30p shooting modes, however, which are something not found on the JVC. The HM400, on the other hand, offers its low-quality slow motion modes. Both camcorders are equipped with optical image stabilization, but we found the system worked better on the JVC. Also, the JVC was easier to keep steady during hand-held shooting due to its more even weight distribution.

Overall, the Canon is the better camcorder here, but the fact that it costs $400 more than the JVC is a bit disconcerting. If you want to save some cash, the JVC is probably the better buy—even though it has worse low light performance and less internal memory than the Canon HF S11. Canon does make an HF S10 and HF S100, which are both cheaper than the HF S11, but include less internal memory (32GB on the HF S10 and no internal memory on the HF S100).

Conclusion

We were pleasantly surprised by how much of an improvement the JVC GZ-HM400 was over the GZ-X900. Both camcorders have the same price tag ($999 MSRP), so it is a no-brainer that the GZ-HM400 is the better buy. The HM400 has more features and better performance hands-down. The only thing the GZ-X900 has going for it is its more compact design.

That isn't to say the GZ-HM400 is the best camcorder out there. The competition at the top is stiff and the high-end models from Panasonic (HDC-TM300 and HDC-HS300) still reign supreme. The Canon HF S11, Sanyo VPC-HD2000, and Sony HDR-XR520V also each have their benefits and they offer similar performance to the JVC GZ-HM400.

The GZ-HM400 has two significant letdowns: poor low light performance and its oddly uncomfortable right-side design. While the low light capabilities on the GZ-HM400 are significantly better than the GZ-X900, they still aren't as good as many of the top-notch camcorders out there. The uncomfortable design on the HM400's right side may sound like a minuscule problem to some, but it is a problem nonetheless. We simply wonder why JVC didn't put more effort into making the HM400 more comfortable to hold.

The GZ-HM400 is a bit cheaper than the competition, which makes it a compelling choice for a high-end camcorder. It has an excellent adjustment dial that is just as good (if not better) than the rings and dials featured on other top-of-the-line models. Also, its top-mounted zoom rocker is quite possibly the best zoom controller in the consumer market.

Photo Gallery

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